Latest news with #HouseOversight
Fox News
31 minutes ago
- Business
- Fox News
Dem who wanted Elon Musk 'taken down' launches bid for House Oversight leadership position
Rising Democratic Party star Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, who sparked controversy earlier this year with remarks about Elon Musk and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, formally launched her bid for ranking member of the House Oversight Committee Tuesday. "These are not normal times — and this cannot be a business-as-usual moment," Crockett said in a post on X. The House Oversight Committee is responsible for holding the executive branch of the federal government and President Donald Trump accountable in Congress. The committee's last ranking member, Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., died May 21 after battling cancer. He was elected to the position in 2023. "Since the start of the 119th Congress, the late ranking member, Gerry Connolly, led Oversight Democrats in the fight to hold the Trump Administration accountable and it was my distinct privilege and absolute honor to serve alongside him as the Vice Ranking Member," Crockett said in a letter to her Democratic colleagues. Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday a special election to replace Connolly in the House. His death May 21 also left a leadership gap on the House Oversight Committee, and House Democrats are now tasked with electing a new leader to challenge Trump. Connolly designated Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., as interim ranking member, and the race is on among House Democrats for the open leadership position. Democratic representatives Robert Garcia of California and Kweisi Mfume of Maryland have announced their own bids to lead the committee. Crockett had signaled her intention to run for ranking member, and the Texas congresswoman's letter to Democrats Tuesday made her bid official. "In this moment, Americans are demanding a more strategic, aggressive, and energetic fight," Crockett said. "Understanding that fierce urgency, I formally announce my candidacy for Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform — with a focus on standing up for American families, defending the Constitution and the rule of law, and ensuring the government serves the people, not the privileged few." Crockett has risen to the national stage for her viral moments in the House, building name recognition among Democrats and a reputation among Republicans. Earlier this year, Attorney General Pam Bondi accused Crockett of "threatening lives" and said she should apologize for her rhetoric against Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for saying, "All I want to see happen on my birthday is for Elon to be taken down." Crockett said she was referring to "nonviolent" resistance. Crockett was also criticized this year for calling Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, who is in a wheelchair, "Governor Hot Wheels." She walked back the comments after her remarks went viral, calling the outrage a "distraction." And the Texas congresswoman dominated headlines last year when her campaign trademarked the phrase "bleach blonde, bad built, butch body" after a verbal dispute with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. Her viral moments have even caught the attention of Trump, who called Crockett a "low I.Q. person." "Our country is in an existential crisis driven by an out-of-control Executive with a flagrant disregard for our Constitution, our way of governance, and our very way of life as citizens of a democratic republic," Crockett said in her letter to House Democrats. "The Administration has refused to respect congressional authority, abide by lawful judicial orders, or respond to public outrage." "The magnitude of these unprecedented times warrants a resistance and tactics never before seen. We must pull back the curtain on the unmitigated chaos under Trump 2.0 and translate our findings to the American people in a way they can digest," Crockett added. In the letter, Crockett praised President Joe Biden, touted her own achievements during her first two terms in the House and asked for her colleagues' support. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., another rising Democratic Party star, said earlier this year she would not seek the top Democratic position on the House Oversight Committee. "It's actually clear to me that the underlying dynamics in the caucus have not shifted with respect to seniority as much as I think would be necessary, and so I believe I'll be staying put at Energy and Commerce," Ocasio-Cortez's spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital in a statement first reported by NBC. Ocasio-Cortez lost her House Oversight bid to Connolly late last year. Connolly had announced his plan to step back as ranking member of the Oversight Committee after just four months on the job due to the resurgence of his esophageal cancer.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Could this politician from California be the future of the Democratic Party?
In the ever-changing jumble of names, titles and organizations that plagues the capitol, I'll be honest that I couldn't have told you who or what a 'Ro Khanna' was before perhaps Feb. 5 of this year, when noted oligarch and overgrown schoolyard bully, Elon Musk, tweeted 'Don't be a (expletive)' at him. The heated exchange came after Khanna, the state representative from California's Silicon Valley, missed a vote in the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to subpoena Musk over his ongoing, furtive changes to the federal government. (Oh, how clueless we were just three months ago!) Khanna had publicly said that, if he'd had enough notice, he would have voted yes, triggering Musk's tantrum. And while that was certainly an unconventional way to come on the radar, Khanna has since become a recurring character in early conversations, both overheard and participated in, about who the Democrats might run against the Republican Party in three years. (Please forgive us wonks for floating the topic so early; we are also annoyed with ourselves and wish we could stop.) At The Bee's invitation, Khanna recently sat down with me and California Opinion Editor Marcos Breton to discuss a wide range of topics. Nothing was off the record — a courtesy rarely given to journalists these days. My first impression of Khanna was to notice his undeniable charisma. It's something politicians either have or don't — and Khanna certainly has it — though I'm not sure yet if it's something that will translate from an in-person meeting to soundbites through a screen. He was relaxed and easy in conversation, serious when appropriate and clearly intelligent about a wide variety of topics. He spoke from memory, with no notes to aid him and no prompting from the one team member he brought to the meeting. He fielded questions from the board with ease, from housing and homelessness to the economy, Medicaid and even childcare costs. Could I see this man as president someday? Yes, I could. Would he admit he was in the early stages of a campaign? No, he would not. Khanna's greatest asset is perhaps his youth (he's 48), in a party where the average age of Democratic leadership in the House is a death-defying 72 years old. 'The Baby Boomers love to serve,' Khanna said. 'And I get it, but you know, there should have been a transition a few years ago….I think there is a new generation in Congress. My view is… you are going to see a new generation of leaders emerging in the party. It's sort of the last hurrah for the old guard.' So, too, would his vocal enthusiasm for taxing high-income earners be popular on the presidential campaign trail, should he pursue it. 'The argument is pretty simple: You can't be providing tax breaks for billionaires while gutting Medicaid,' Khanna said. '(Democrats) are the party that's going to uphold the Constitution (and the) rule of law, but also make sure that people don't lose their Medicaid or lose their Social Security, all for tax breaks for the billionaires. We need to have a more affirmative economic message of what we're going to do, but for right now, people are just angry at what they see as an assault on basic social protections.' 'People see the costs of child care, of health care, of college and they're struggling to get by. I don't think we addressed that well enough, empathetically enough, with a vision of how to solve it.' Khanna's ready and concise answers made for a compelling conversation, and reminded me of a quote from one of my favorite movies, 1995's 'The American President': '(People) want leadership. They're so thirsty for it they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water, they'll drink the sand.' Life is never so neatly tied up in 129 minutes, but the point still rings true some 30 years later: The American people are truly desperate for leadership. We want it so much that we have once again attached ourselves to a caricature of a strongman — and now I fear we are drinking the sand. Call me naive, but the last time this country felt united was during the Obama campaign, when hope and optimism were the order of the day. Perhaps it's no coincidence that Khanna worked in the Obama Administration. Americans crave a youthful, energetic, smart leader to unite behind once more. I fear the lack of one will doom us to an impossible situation, like trying to climb out of a sand pit. I don't know if Khanna is the leader America needs, because no one is going to be perfect for the role. But as a child of immigrants, a man who can move and speak just as easily in a crowd of billionaires as he does among the working class, follows through on his promises to fairly tax high income earners, protect social programs, rebuilds America's factory towns and shows the Democratic Party that its future lies not in staid gerontocracy, but in idealism and hope? He at least has a fighting chance.
New York Times
21-05-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Gerald Connolly, Top Democrat on House Oversight Committee, Dies at 75
Representative Gerald E. Connolly of Virginia, a nine-term congressman who was the top Democrat on the House oversight committee, died on Wednesday, his family said in a statement. He was 75. Mr. Connolly died at his home surrounded by his family, the statement said. It did not give a cause of death. Mr. Connolly had announced in 2024 that he was being treated for cancer of the esophagus. In April, he announced that his cancer had returned and that he would not seek re-election in 2026. He also said he would soon relinquish his spot on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. This is a breaking news story that will be updated.
Washington Post
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Gerry Connolly, a Democratic congressman and fixture of Virginia politics, dies at 75
RICHMOND, Va. — U.S. Rep. Gerald 'Gerry' Connolly, an outspoken Democrat who sought key reforms in the federal government while bringing transformational development to his populous Virginia district, died Wednesday. He was 75. Connolly, who most recently held a prominent position as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, served in Congress for more than 16 years.
E&E News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- E&E News
Bills to curb rulemaking, red tape get markup
The House Oversight and Government Reform committee will vote on a roster of bills that target federal regulations and permitting. Lawmakers will vote on six bills that 'rein in regulatory overreach by the administrative state,' according to a release from committee Republicans. The anti-regulatory push is not new to the House; Republicans have included a measure in their budget reconciliation megabill that would give Congress the final sign-off on major agency rules. Advertisement Up for markup this week is H.R. 689, the 'Full Responsibility and Expedited Enforcement (FREE) Act,' from Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-Utah).
